Spain

Delegates dine with local business leaders and US Ambassador Alan Solomont in Barcelona.

In November of 2011 a Boston delegation visited Barcelona and Madrid, Spain to focus on the topic of innovation as a driver of economic development. Delegates gathered and shared best practices that accelerate innovation and focused on the network’s research topic at the time: “talent flows,” analyzing the attraction, retention, and loss of workforce participants.

The group of delegates focused on several topics that related to innovation as a driver of economic development. Questions around marketing and branding of a city, barriers to entry for people and businesses, place-making and future infrastructure. The group had a chance to meet with top officials in city and regional government and even have dinner with US Ambassador Alan Solomont in Madrid.